


a world apart

by mearcats



Series: la vie en rose [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/F, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 12:51:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7463940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mearcats/pseuds/mearcats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tumblr prompt: Belle brings Jane to the library on a rainy day, and Jane discovers a Little Red Riding Hood book and falls in love w/ it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a world apart

Belle looked down her five year-old daughter fondly. “All right, sweetling. Ready to go with mummy to the library?”

Jane looked back, pouting. “Why can’t I go to the diner with Mom and Granny?”

Belle’s grin faded as she sighed. For whatever reason, her daughter had thus far proven uninterested in books. She had learned to read by the age of four, but Jane lacked the drive to read every book she could get her hands on. It was...challenging for Belle. She and Jane still shared a love of flowers and beautiful things, but her daughter took after her other mother much more in personality and interests.

Normally, Jane would accompany Ruby to Granny’s and the two women would keep an eye on her. She would even help in her way, filling salt shakers and rolling napkins. However, Granny was ill and Ruby would be busy doing inventory. She’d begged to go play with little Neal and Hope, but the rain had put a damper on any sort of play date. So instead Belle was taking her to the library.

The walk was short, and Belle made sure to carry the umbrella large enough to cover them both. (If Jane asked to be able to jump in the puddles -- she was wearing her galoshes, after all -- and Belle allowed it, well, that would be their secret. Until Ruby did the laundry, that is.)

Belle hurried to unlock the door and let them in. Jane reluctantly followed, looking bored. Belle tried to suggest a book (what non-cursed child wouldn’t love _Madeline_?) but Jane just got that obstinate look on her face and shook her head.

“All right, my love. I need to put away the books from yesterday, but you can look at the books with pictures of flowers. Or the art books. Do you know where they are?”

“Yes, mum.”

Belle smiled ruefully, knowing she’d probably have to re-shelve most of that section, as Jane was just as likely to try to build a fort out of the books as read them.

\---

When she emerged from the back, Belle was surprised to see Jane tucked into one of the chairs in the reading nook, wholly absorbed in the book open in her lap. She walked over quietly, hoping to glimpse the title.

As she approached, Jane’s brow furrowed.

Oh. Red Riding Hood.

That particular edition was an art pop-up based on the classic Grimm’s version...and it in no way resembled the actual story. But Janie had been deemed too young for their full story, and this was not how Belle or Ruby had intended to broach the subject.

Jane was frowning now. “This book is wrong, isn’t it? Mom is Red Riding Hood _and_ the wolf. And what is she doing here? Are you in any books?”

Belle sank onto the ottoman in front of her daughter. “There are lots of stories, and I’m in some of them, and so is your other mother. So are a lot of the people in town. But, Janie, they’re not the stories of what actually happened to us. If you have any questions, please _please_ ask us.”

“Why didn’t they just write about what actually happened?” She looked perplexed.

“People have all kinds of reasons for telling stories the way they do, and that often has more to do with them than the characters or people they write about. So there are lots of stories about the people we know, and many of them are different from each other.”

Jane looked fascinated. “Will you show them to me?”

“Of course,” agreed Belle with a smile.

They chatted for a few more minutes before Belle had to go back to the front desk. Before she walked away, she felt Jane pulling on her hand.

“Can I check out this book today?”

“We can do that right now. Come up there with me.” Belle couldn’t hold back her grin as she squeezed her daughter’s hand happily, her mind racing with all the books she’d show her next about the people they loved.


End file.
